OLDUVAI GORGE WORLD HERITAGE SITE
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Olduvai Gorge is one of the most famous
paleo anthropological site in the World. The gorge is about 100-meter-deep
cutting across a 50-kilometerwide rift-platform basin located between
Precambrian basements to the west and the Plio-Pleistocene Ngorongoro Volcanic
Highland to the East. The site lies in the eastern flanks of the Ngorongoro
volcanic highland in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), on the
plains of the Serengeti ecosystem.
Paleo-anthropological and archeological
work at Olduvai began in 1900s, soon after it has been reported in 1911 by
entomologist professor Wilhelm Katewinkle. This was followed by first
scientific expedition by a German geologist, Dr. Hans Reck. Reck was the first person to study geological
structure of the George where he divided the layers into five Schichtkomplexes(geological
sequences), he also collected fossil remains and cranium of ancient apelike man
which later came to be known as Archaic homo from bed four. Dr. Reck’s work
provided significant information regarding the geology and material culture
available at Olduvai. His findings drew attention and attracted various
anthropologists such as Dr. Leakey.
On his first visit at Olduvai, Dr Leakey
was impressed with the scattered lithic artifact that he observed from surface.
Consequently, in 1930s Dr Louis Leakey and his wife officially started their
research activities in the gorge. They took a couple of decades studying and
collecting lithic artifacts and fossils remains but also searching for the tool
makers. Although the paleontological and archaeological importance of Olduvai
Gorge had long been recognized, it was only after the discovery of OH 5 (Zinjanthropusboisei=
Australopithecus boisei; Leakey, 1959 that large-scale excavations began
throughout the gorge. Since then, several numbers of hominids remain, an
abundant of both extinct and extant faunal remains, and stone artifact were
collected from survey and pit excavation.
In 1983, Marry Leakey retired working at
Olduvai. Two years later, the Institute of Human Origin (IHO) instigates an
international paleo-anthropological research expedition that lasted for three
years. IHO expedition collected paleontological specimens more important was
the discovery of hominid partial skeleton (OH62) namely Homo habilis. Later on, several paleo-anthropological
project which incorporating local and foreigner researchers including Olduvai
Landscape Archaeology Project (OLAP), The Olduvai Paleo-anthropological and
Palaeoecological Project (TOPPP), Olduvai Vertebrate Paleontological Project
(OVPP), and Olduvai Geochronology Corering Project (OGCP), in a very recent
time. Appreciably, more hominids fossil, faunal remains and stone tools have
been added from ongoing project at Olduvai.
To date, Olduvai offer the best
documentation of hominid cultural and biological evolution. Accordingly, the
best record of four hominid species belonging to genus australopithecine, Homo
habilis, Homo erectas, and archaic Homo sapiens are found at Olduvai. Adding together, various stone tools studies
ranging from early Stone Age to middle Stone Age have been conducted at
Olduvai. In that ground, Olduvai is regarded as the cradle of humankind.
Furthermore, various macro and micro animal bones both extant and extinct have
been uneartherned from Olduvai. An abundance of these cultural materials
obtained at various locality/Site of Olduvai provides an exceptional data set for reconstructing early hominid behavior, culture,
and provided scientific information to understand human biological evolution,
paleoenvironment, and paleoecology of the area.
Apart
from cultural heritage available, Olduvai is rich in natural heritage including
the Grand Canyon itself, geological sequence, and beautiful scenery.
Additionally, olduvai is home of various wild animals. Consequently, this has
made Olduvai not only wolrd prehistoric center of research but also an
important world tourist destination
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